A crimson glow whipped up a gale across the turf, every one of Dream Weaver's footfalls landing with near-perfection.
Each time she leaned into a sharp corner, a fresh wave of awe rippled through the stands at Tokyo Racecourse.
This wasn't her first time galloping across this ground, nor was it her first time competing in the Japanese Derby.
Though the weather shifted and the timing differed—and the atmosphere of the track held its own subtle nuances—the geometry of this place was etched into Dream Weaver's soul.
She could have finished this race with her eyes closed without a shadow of a doubt.
So... just how many times have I run the Derby now?
The thought drifted through her mind. Before her lay only the open track; behind her, she felt no looming threat.
In this dead-set sprint toward the finish line, she actually had the luxury of letting her mind wander.
She counted them off mentally.
In her first "scenario world," things had ended at the Satsuki Sho.
The second time was her true debut in the Japanese Derby.
By the third, she had missed the first two legs of the Triple Crown entirely, only completing the full circuit when she finally faced off against Shinzan.
This was Dream Weaver's third time running the Derby, yet a sudden realization struck her: this might very well be her last.
The reason was simple—she likely wouldn't have any reason to return to those simulated worlds again.
This reality-bound Japanese Derby was, for Dream Weaver, the true finale.
For a moment, a pang of sentimentality hit her.
Back in the scenarios, she never felt any urgency regarding the "once-in-a-lifetime" nature of the race; she knew it wouldn't be her last time on the Triple Crown trail.
Back then, saving her mother felt like an impossibly long journey, and she assumed she'd have endless chances to repeat these runs.
But now, she truly understood the weight of a moment that happens only once.
I see. So that's why Tokai Teio was so worked up, Dream Weaver realized.
She had never truly felt the gravity of those words before, and so she had never quite understood Tokai Teio's intensity.
She instinctively glanced back. Behind her, Tokai Teio was still maintaining a safe distance.
She wasn't desperately craving the edge of the "God-Slayer" blade like she had during the Satsuki Sho.
Aside from maintaining her "Undying Phoenix" Zone to ward off the pressure of the unsheathed blade, she wasn't making any aggressive moves.
Dream Weaver could guess her tactic.
After the Satsuki Sho, Tokai Teio must have realized she couldn't take the God-Slayer head-on.
Instead of challenging Dream Weaver mid-race, she was lurking, waiting for the final straight to make her move.
She likely believed she could use the Phoenix Zone to weather a single strike from the God-Slayer, then find a gap between the first and second swings to accelerate past Dream Weaver.
Unfortunately for her, she didn't know that the strike she'd faced at the Satsuki Sho was just a casual flick of the wrist.
Even Dream Weaver herself didn't know what kind of devastation a full-power God-Slayer strike would cause; it had been a long time since she'd faced an opponent who required her to go all out.
The last time she'd truly exerted herself was against Shinzan.
Now, Dream Weaver's base stats were far higher than they were then, meaning her blade would only be swifter.
Admittedly, since Tokai Teio wasn't putting enough pressure on her to trigger [Kindling Embers] or [Nirvana], the lack of support from skills other than [Tokyo Swift] and [Intuition] meant she couldn't unleash that absolute peak strike.
However, that was more than compensated for by the massive leap in her equipment.
The [Proof of Triple Crown] was the most powerful item she had ever obtained across her countless journeys. In this Japanese Derby, two of its three effects were active.
First, when participating in a G1 race, all of Dream Weaver's attributes received a significant boost.
Second, because the crowd attendance had reached a historic peak, Dream Weaver's stamina and power were further enhanced.
The only buff that hadn't triggered required the presence of a "True Rival."
Only when an opponent was deemed a worthy nemesis would the item grant a further increase to Guts and Speed.
In the eyes of the Triple Crown Proof's logic, Tokai Teio clearly didn't qualify.
Though she was the strongest Uma Musume on this track besides Dream Weaver herself, to the item's cold judgment, she was no different from any other runner.
Without the status of a "True Rival," she was destined never to pose a real threat.
Dream Weaver pulled her gaze back, continuing her lonely, brilliant run at the very front of the pack.
"Alright! The fourth corner is just ahead! Once they clear this, it's the final four-hundred-meter straight!"
Outside the track, Rin Akasaka shouted with excitement. As long as they rounded this final bend, victory was in sight.
"And Dream Weaver shows no signs of slowing down! She clearly has plenty left in the tank!"
"What terrifying stamina... to maintain a front-running tactic for the entire race without a single hint of exhaustion."
Kentaro Sugimoto could see much more than Rin, which was why he was so stunned. What he didn't know was that Dream Weaver had her "Zone" active the entire time.
Thinking back to Dream Weaver's first Derby against Orfevre, her stamina had been completely drained by the final turn just from keeping her Zone open, forcing her to rely on pure Guts to stay upright.
Now, even though the God-Slayer drained more energy than the Cursed Blade ever had, Dream Weaver maintained her pace with ease.
This massive contrast showed just how much stronger she had become.
Of course, for the other Uma Musume of this generation, the reality was the same: Dream Weaver was simply too strong.
She had reached a level where she had no peers left.
"Is there even any point in the others chasing anymore...?" Rin Akasaka murmured, watching Dream Weaver dive into the fourth corner.
Kentaro Sugimoto wanted to remind her that the race wasn't over and not to speak in such absolutes, but though his lips moved, he hesitated.
Actually, she wasn't wrong. Even Sugimoto couldn't imagine anyone overtaking Dream Weaver now. This Japanese Derby may have been decided from the very start.
He tried to change the subject to keep the commentary moving, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of crimson.
Dream Weaver? No, didn't she just pass that spot?
Having grown used to associating the color red with Dream Weaver, Sugimoto didn't react immediately.
But he was a veteran announcer. Within a second, he snapped back to reality.
"Oh! Tokai Teio has chosen this moment to accelerate! Is she trying to blow past Dream Weaver on the final straight? But the gap is at least ten lengths... Tokai Teio's chances are looking incredibly slim!"
Ten lengths.
That was the safety zone carved out by the God-Slayer.
Within that radius, every step closer to Dream Weaver meant the pressure would grow exponentially.
Tokai Teio had been lingering on the very edge of that blade's reach until now.
Only now was she officially stepping into Dream Weaver's domain to face the full brunt of the God-Slayer's aura.
She lifted her head. As she stared at the crimson figure ahead, her eyes were dyed the color of flames, her pupils flickering like a wildfire.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.